It's Dark Sun

[Squizzle]

That's awfully dismissive.

A well-made setting can persuade people to try new games or new editions. Just because someone's not playing 4e now doesn't mean they never will, with something that captures their imagination. It's not an exclusive club where you have to like 4e ahead of time to like a 4e setting.

-O

That's not what I meant to imply at all; I should have phrased it more clearly. If he doesn't want the setting to change, as it's in a state that he likes, and is in that state in a fashion that is playable for a game (or game version) that he enjoys, why would it matter for his play/interest/existential wellbeing if it were changed in a fashion he didn't enjoy in its incarnation in a game (version) he didn't enjoy? It'd be like me being upset however many years ago when White Wolf changed the Trinity/Aberrant/Adventure! timeline (albeit slightly, so not necessarily an apples:apples example) for the games' translation into d20. Sure, it changes things that I liked about the games in a system that I (in the horrible foolishness of my youth, I admit! [Seriously, Aberrant had mechanical problems you could pass a men's big & tall clothing store through.]) preferred to accomodate a system that I did not enjoy, but...I still had the books on my shelf to play the game I wanted to play! It affected literally nothing of my gaming life.

 

[amysrevenge]

Speculating on the contents of a Dark Sun Player's Guide

1) Races: Mul, Thri-Kreen, Half-Giant

2) Classes: Templar, Defiler

3) Equipment: Bone and obsidian gear. Some way to get the attack/defense/skill math to work without magic items (inherent bonuses or something).

Anyone have any other stuff? This was all just stuff I threw together as fast as I could type it...

 

[Andalusian]

If I remember correctly... because there were no gods to speak of, there were no clerics or paladins or divine characters of any sort in the original setting.

No paladins, but they did have clerics that worshipped one of the four main elements. They also had druids.

I wonder if the setting will still use weapon breakage rules and psionics. I like the low metal feel of the original setting, but weapon breakage was a real nuisance for everyone.

 

[amysrevenge]

I found this old pic online. I didn't even know they released an AD&D brand of DS minis:

There were more than this - I have a female half-giant mini that my wife used later as the enlarge person version of her cleric.

 

[Panthanas]

Awesome! I was hoping it would be Dark Sun! I ran a DS game for about 4 years in the mid 90's and it ended abruptly. I think my group would love to return to the setting.

 

[Kez Darksun]

Speculating on the contents of a Dark Sun Player's Guide

1) Races: Mul, Thri-Kreen, Half-Giant

2) Classes: Templar, Defiler

3) Equipment: Bone and obsidian gear. Some way to get the attack/defense/skill math to work without magic items (inherent bonuses or something).

Anyone have any other stuff? This was all just stuff I threw together as fast as I could type it...

How about the Dark Sun specific weaponry? As far as the last half of #3, the DMG 2 has that covered I believe.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

The revised DS box set did more to ruin Dark Sun than 4e FR did to ruin the Realms. The fact that they recognize it and are retconing it out is fantastic.

I'm a Dark Sun fan, and I'm excited about this announcement.

LOL, true As frequently said, the way the setting was forced to follow the books...ick!!
Very glad it's Dark Sun for next year, especially as I'm running a 4th ed campaign in Athas at the moment!
Makes me feel all ...Brom-like, and wanting to shout out "WHO'S YER DADDY!" while dressed in torn clothing and fake tan

By the way, paladins do make sense, as "templars": templar is a profession, as is a "gladiator".
Most templars are bureacrats with some spell casting, or officers (warlords) some werre defilers, some would be fanatic believers in the Sorceror Kings supposed godhood (thus they'd be paladins) etc.

IMHO, Templars should be "clerics", or any other class the DM wants, it's what their occupation is that makes them a templar, ya know?

Gladiators are mostly "rangers". It' a from of fighting up close in an arena. Can be done with ANY class, really.

Dune Trader class would rock, or paragon class.

Athasian bards = rogues/assassins.

HALLE-FREAKIN-LUJAH!

This is... bloody perfect.

"Where are we going?"
"To get bigger guns!!"
"HALLELUJAH!!"


A quote most apropos for Dark Sun

Hooray! It's not Dragonlance!

Hamster and rangers everywhere, rejoice!

Still, an original setting would've been better. Oh well, maybe next year...

Minsc and Boo do the Gopher Dance for Dark Sun fun!

And Spelljammer for 2011!!

Mmm, I must do more Dark Sun art, yes indeedy!!

 

[Somebloke]

As someone who has basically no exposure to the Dark Sun setting, what is the big deal with races? How does it break the setting to have all the 4e races as playable?

One of the main draws of the Dark Sun setting is that it was D&D that was not Tolkein- not even a little. All of the races were either dramatically altered (haflings as cannibal jungle dwellers) or supposedly wiped out centuries ago (Gnomes, orcs, goblinoids). Replacements included the Tri-Kreen and the Aarkroka- much more alien races meant to further draw the setting away from the generic feel.

 

[amysrevenge]

Thinking about it more, Defiler/Preserver might be options for the existing Arcane classes, rather than classes of their own.

 

[AllisterH]

I wonder if they would go with simply saying...

"In Dark Sun, there is no DIVINE power source thus classes who have "prayers" do not exist.

There has ALREADY been an article on how to do "gladiator" style combat which was well received (and there's the Pit Fighter paragon path)

Dragonborn can be easily flavoured as "drey" a la the changeling/shapeshifter flavouring done for Eberron.

The only big mechanic would be how "defiling" works with spells and the arcane classes.